Name:     David Brash Dick
Designation:     Architect
Born:     17 January 1846
Died:     9 September 1925
Bio Notes:     David Brash Dick was born in 1846, the second son of Robert Dick, merchant, of 23 Archibald Place, Edinburgh and Margaret Brash who died in childbirth or soon after. David was named after her father and was baptised on 1 February 1846 by Rev George Johnston, minister of the United Associate Secession Congregation, Nicolson Street, Edinburgh. He studied at the Edinburgh School of Design and was articled to William Lambie Moffatt in Edinburgh. From there he became a draughtsman in the office of Peddie & Kinnear where Dick Peddie may have been a distant relative.

In 1873 Dick emigrated, first to Chicago where he participated in the rebuilding that followed the Great Fire of 1871. Later the same year he settled in Toronto where he joined the office of fellow Scottish expatriate Robert Grant (born 1840). After about a year as an assistant he was taken into partnership, but this was short-lived, being dissolved in 1876. Dick continued to practise in that city on his own account, occasionally still working in collaboration with Grant, who focused thereafter on property development, engaging other contractors to construct his projects.

Dick's Toronto warehouse buildings were in a Romanesque style which was related both to that of Peddie & Kinnear's United Presbyterian churches of the 1860s and contemporary Romanesque. His backward-sloping calligraphy is very similar to that of many of the drawings in the Peddie & Kinnear archive in the 1860s and early 1870s, but come of the capital letters are formed differently.

Dick was a founding member of The Toronto Architectural Guild and President of The Ontario Association of Architects in 1893. He retired to England in 1902. He died in September 1925 and was buried at Woking. He was married but it is not known if he had any children.
Private and Business Addresses
The following private or business addresses are associated with this architect:
    Address    Type    Date from    Date to    Notes
Edinburgh, Scotland    Private         1873    
Toronto, Canada    Business    1873    1902    
England    Private    1902    1925    
Employment and Training
Employers
The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this architect (click on an item to view details):
    Name    Date from    Date to    Position    Notes
    William Lambie Moffatt (originally William Lambie Moffat)    c. 1862(?)    c. 1867(?)    Apprentice    
    Peddie & Kinnear    c. 1867(?)    c. 1873    Draughtsman    
    Robert Grant    1873    1874    Assistant    
    Grant & Dick    1874    1876    Partner    
Buildings and Designs
This architect was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details):
    Date started    Building name    Town, district or village    Island    City or county    Country    Notes
    1876    Consumers' Gas Offices              Toronto    Canada    
    1882    44-50 Wellington Street East              Toronto    Canada    
    1886    Quebec Bank Buildings              Toronto    Canada    
    1890    University College, Toronto              Toronto    Canada    Rebuilding after fire
    1891    University of Toronto Library              Toronto    Canada    
    1899    Consumers' Gas Offices              Toronto    Canada    Addition
References
Bibliographic References
The following books contain references to this architect:
    Author(s)    Date    Title    Part    Publisher    Notes
    Arthur, Eric and Otto, Stephen A         Toronto: No Mean City    Various    Toronto, Buffalo & London: University of Toronto Press (1964, 1974, 1986, 1994, 2003)    
    Carson, Lynne    1991    The Harland Building         Unpublished essay 17 April 1991 and cover letter to John Gerrard 14 September 1991    
Periodical References
The following periodicals contain references to this architect:
    Periodical Name    Date    Edition    Publisher    Notes
    Builder    18 September 1925              
    The Times    10 September 1925              
Archive References
The following archives hold material relating to this architect:
    Source    Archive Name    Source Catalogue No.    Notes
City of Toronto Clerk's Office    City of Toronto Council and Committee Documents         Bye-law No 85 - 1999, re: 540 Dovercourt Road, Toronto (available on the website of Toronto City Council)
Professor David M Walker personal archive    Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material         Information per Stephen Otto, Canada